Study and micro-Raman characterization of pigments present on majolicas of historical and artistic interest from Gerace, Italy

AbstractIn this work, pigments of majolicas made between the sixteenth century and eighteenth century from Gerace have been characterized by micro-Raman spectroscopy. Majolica, known also as pottery, was originally used to identify all objects made from clay materials. In this work, ten samples were analyzed: two vases, six majolica fragments made in Gerace, one vase of uncertain origin (probably Gerace or Caltagirone) and one vase of Venetian origin. The Raman spectroscopic analysis allowed to identify most of the pigments present on the studied cultural heritage pottery above described. Pigments white, yellow, orange, red, blue, and green have been characterized and their attribution allowed to divide the artwork made in Gerace with those made wherever. Graphical Abstrac

Maximum insertion torque loss after miniscrew placement in orthodontic patients: A randomized controlled trial

Objectives To compare torque recordings of immediately loaded orthodontic miniscrews between insertion time and different post-placement timepoints (2 weeks, 4 weeks and removal time, respectively).Setting and sample population Parallel trial with an allocation ratio of 1:1. Eligibility criteria were needs of fixed orthodontic treatment, no systemic disease and absence of using drugs altering bone metabolism.Material and methods Patients received miniscrews, 2.0 mm diameter and 10 mm length. All miniscrews underwent inter-radicular placement, and they were placed in the maxilla or in the mandible, palatally or buccally. No pre-drilling was performed. Miniscrews were loaded immediately after the insertion and were used for distalization, intrusion, extrusion, mesialization or indirect anchorage. Patients were randomly divided into three groups. For each patient, Maximum Insertion Torque (MIT) was evaluated at baseline. MIT was measured again after 2 weeks and after 4 weeks by tightening the screw a quarter of turn in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. At the end of the treatment, maximal removal torque was evaluated in Group 3. Torque variation with respect to insertion time was considered as the primary outcome. Baseline and longitudinal differences were tested using the linear mixed-effects (LME) model.Results Forty seven patients and 74 miniscrews were followed up. An association existed between maximum insertion torque and the observation time. A torque decrease of 26.9% and 30% after 2 weeks was observed for mandibular and maxillary miniscrews, respectively. After 1 month, torque values were similar to the baseline records. The overall success rate was 79.7%. No serious harm was observed.Conclusions Maximum insertion torque undergoes a loss during the first 2 weeks, and its values may depend on the insertion site and the anchorage purpose. Removal torque value is almost the same as the initial torque after 1 month

Evaluation of palatal bone depth, cortical bone, and mucosa thickness for optimal orthodontic miniscrew placement performed according to the third palatal ruga clinical reference

Objectives This retrospective CBCT study aimed to evaluate the palatal anatomical characteristics using the third palatal ruga as a reliable clinical reference for miniscrew placement. Methods Thirty-six subjects (mean age17.1 y.o. +/- 4.1) were randomly selected and their records (CBCT volume and maxillary digital models) were included. BlueSkyPlan CBCT software viewer (BluSkyBio, V4.7) was used to measure the following outcomes at the level of third palatal ruga, 2 mm anteriorly and 2 mm posteriorly: total bone depth, cortical bone thickness, and mucosa thickness. The outcomes were evaluated on lines perpendicular to the palatal mucosa laying on different sagittal planes: the mid-palatal plane, 2 and 4 mm paramedian planes. Results The maximum mean amount of bone depth was registered 2 mm posteriorly to the third ruga and 4 mm paramedian (9.7 mm). No significant difference was observed between the third ruga insertion site and its corresponding 2 mm posterior site. Cortical bone of palatal vault did not change significantly in anteroposterior direction for all the considered sites. Significant differences were found comparing cortical bone at the suture level with cortical bone 2-mm and 4-mm paramedian at all anteroposterior levels. Palatal mucosa increases its thickness in paramedian insertion sites, and it decreases in posterior insertion sites. Conclusions Both third palatal ruga and 2 mm posteriorly to third ruga (4 mm paramedian) could be the optimal insertion site for palatal miniscrew placement, depending on individual anatomic conditions. The thickness of the cortical palatal bone showed, at 4 mm paramedian, optimal characteristics for miniscrew primary stability. Palatal mucosa thickness values suggest miniscrew neck extension of 2.0-2.5 mm for optimal mucosa adaptation

Maxillary orthodontic expansion assisted by unilateral alveolar corticotomy and low-level laser therapy: a novel approach for correction of posterior unilateral cross-bite in adults

Introduction: The treatment of a true unilateral posterior crossbite often requires asymmetric maxillary expansion; however, this is challenging to achieve with conventional expansion methods because of several biomechanical limitations. In this paper, we introduce a new protocol for the treatment of a unilateral posterior crossbite in adults based on maxillary orthodontic expansion assisted by corticotomy and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) performed on the crossbite side. Methods: The study sample included 15 adults (8 females, 7 males) affected by a true unilateral posterior crossbite, with a mean age of 21.6 ± 3.1 years at the at the beginning of treatment. After the application of orthodontic appliances (palatal expander and self-ligating brackets), corticomy was performed at the buccal aspect of the crossbite side while LLLT was monthly administered up to the correction of the crossbite. The efficacy of the technique was evaluated through measurements performed on maxillary digital models. Results: All subjects reported successful correction of the posterior unilateral crossbite, and functional occlusion was achieved as well. The average expansion was greater at the crossbite side compared to the unaffected side and such difference was significant at the levels of first premolars (P < 0.05), second premolars (P < 0.05) and first molars (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Orthodontic maxillary expansion assisted by unilateral corticotomy and LLLT was effective in the treatment of the true unilateral crossbite

Therapeutic strategies to prevent the recurrence of nasal polyps after surgical treatment: an update and in vitro study on growth inhibition of fibroblasts

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is the most bothersome phenotype of chronic rhinosinusitis, which is typically characterized by a Type 2 inflammatory reaction, comorbidities and high rates of nasal polyp recurrence, causing severe impact on quality of life. Nasal polyp recurrence rates, defined as the number of patients undergoing revision endoscopic sinus surgery, are 20% within a 5 year period after surgery. The cornerstone of CRSwNP management consists of anti-inflammatory treatment with local corticosteroids. We performed a literature review regarding the therapeutic strategies used to prevent nasal polyp recurrence after surgical treatment. Finally, we report an in vitro study evaluating the efficacy of lysine-acetylsalicylic acid and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ketoprofen and diclofenac) on the proliferation of fibroblasts, obtained from nasal polyp tissue samples. Our study demonstrates that diclofenac, even more so than lysine-acetylsalicylic acid, significantly inhibits fibroblast proliferation and could be considered a valid therapeutic strategy in preventing CRSwNP recurrence

Chronic cholesterol administration to the brain supports complete and long-lasting cognitive and motor amelioration in Huntington's disease

: Evidence that Huntington's disease (HD) is characterized by impaired cholesterol biosynthesis in the brain has led to strategies to increase its level in the brain of the rapidly progressing R6/2 mouse model, with a positive therapeutic outcome. Here we tested the long-term efficacy of chronic administration of cholesterol to the brain of the slowly progressing zQ175DN knock-in HD mice in preventing ("early treatment") or reversing ("late treatment") HD symptoms. To do this we used the most advanced formulation of cholesterol loaded brain-permeable nanoparticles (NPs), termed hybrid-g7-NPs-chol, which were injected intraperitoneally. We show that one cycle of treatment with hybrid-g7-NPs-chol, administered in the presymptomatic ("early treatment") or symptomatic ("late treatment") stages is sufficient to normalize cognitive defects up to 5 months, as well as to improve other behavioral and neuropathological parameters. A multiple cycle treatment combining both early and late treatments ("2 cycle treatment") lasting 6 months generates therapeutic effects for more than 11 months, without severe adverse reactions. Sustained cholesterol delivery to the brain of zQ175DN mice also reduces mutant Huntingtin aggregates in both the striatum and cortex and completely normalizes synaptic communication in the striatal medium spiny neurons compared to saline-treated HD mice. Furthermore, through a meta-analysis of published and current data, we demonstrated the power of hybrid-g7-NPs-chol and other strategies able to increase brain cholesterol biosynthesis, to reverse cognitive decline and counteract the formation of mutant Huntingtin aggregates. These results demonstrate that cholesterol delivery via brain-permeable NPs is a therapeutic option to sustainably reverse HD-related behavioral decline and neuropathological signs over time, highlighting the therapeutic potential of cholesterol-based strategies in HD patients. DATA AVAILABILITY: This study does not include data deposited in public repositories. Data are available on request to the corresponding authors